JoAnne Mandel Board Member of the Year Award
Established in 1994 the JoAnne Mandell Board Member of the Year Award is presented each year to the person on the board who is recognized by his/her peers for exceptional contributions to the AABH and its members during their time on the Board of Directors.
Larry Meikel receives inaugural award presented by Erin Orseck, daughter of JoAnne Mandel.
2025 Inaugural Winner
Larry Meikel
Larry joined the AABH Board of Directors in 2004. He has served continuously since then in many roles including Treasurer and Past-President. He currently serves as the Treasurer and the CMS Liaison representing the board and AABH as an organization. Larry has recently stepped into fill the void left by JoAnne as the Public Policy Committee Chairperson.
About JoAnne
JoAnne was a trailblazer and always broke the mold. She wanted to help people from as far back as she could remember. Oldest of 4 girls, she grew up on a farm in Hartley, Iowa. She completed her nursing degree by 19 before moving to Houston in the 1960's. Her side gig in her early years was modeling. As a single mom, JoAnne decided to go back to school in the 1980's. She continued working full-time as a nurse while pursuing her license in Social Work. After helping start several programs in the Houston area, she decided to start her own program helping HIV+ men back when that was a death sentence. She was always helping those who were suffering and didn't feel like their voices were heard.
She joined AABH in the mid-90's because she was determined to see that Medicare cover partial hospitalization in community mental health centers like hers, InnerWisdom. This became her passion and a primary focus that led to her being elected to the AABH Board of Directors in 2000. She became the public advocacy leader of the board and never gave up on making sure Washington DC was aware of partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. She served as the Public Policy Chairperson for 20 years. Being involved in patient advocacy was very rewarding for her. Visiting legislators on Capitol Hill was a highlight. Her letters on behalf of AABH were impactful and meaningful.
AABH conferences were also a highlight. She loved the opportunity to meet and network with the providers of partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. She wouldn't miss a conference! She always came back with loads of information. And lots of photos of flowers, scenery, hotel rooms, and a few photos of participants. She rarely came back with photos of herself. Selfies were never a strong point. She looked forward to learning new information and implementing what she learned at InnerWisdom. JoAnne always said she never worked a day in her life. She loved what she did. She loved her work on the AABH board.